English Barclays Premiership

And Pleat insisted that Spurs had done everything in their power to overcome the well publicised stumbling blocks and help the First Division side get their man.

The former Newcastle man was due to have a medical on Friday with Albion hoping to have the flying winger in their side at the weekend.

The deal had been held-up as Fox negotiated a pay-off from Spurs for the remainder of his lucrative Premiership contract, but Pleat insists that matter has now been resolved.

Pleat said: "Like many players nowadays, they want some kind of displacement monies, a kind of severance pay which never existed before. But we're happy with the deal, let's put it like that.

"We're happy and if the deal goes through, it will be around £200,000, so we're pleased that we've got some return on Ruel.

"Hopefully it will go through and we concluded the deal with Ruel Fox here, so that he can go and feel that he's been, in his view, treated properly."

Pleat continued: "He's been a decent club man, but he's ready to leave and take a step down, which is the right thing to do. If you love football, you love to play.

"When you've been used to playing regular first team football, it's quite hard then to go an play at reserve level.

"Ruel played the other night for the reserves at Coventry, with a very very young team. He did his bit, but it's inconsequential and he needs to go and get that extra little yard and little bit of verve and bite that only first team football brings for an experienced player."